Given the imminent challenges climate change poses for poverty reduction and sustainable development, the need for coherent and integrated climate risk management approaches that address the underlying causes of vulnerability – and that simultaneously increase the ability of the rural poor to adapt to and cope with natural hazards - has never been more pressing. Climate change is accelerating the frequency and intensity of extreme natural hazards and those living in rural areas are disproportionately affected. Life in high-risk geographical locations, heavy reliance on agriculture and natural resources, and limited coping capacity as a result of low income, lack of savings, weak social networks, low asset bases are all contributing factors. Protecting poor and vulnerable small-scale producers from the negative impacts of climate risks is necessary to effectively carry out FAO’s strategic objectives and achieve Sustainable Development Goals 1 (ending poverty) and 2 (zero hunger). As shown in this report, managing climate risks through social protection is a valid and effective investment to safeguard the livelihoods of small-scale producers and to strengthen their essential role in ensuring food security across the globe.